The Chronicles of Astrid: Book 1: An Old Friend
by Real Live Fishlegs
Summary: This is my first fan fiction, part of a series hopefully, please rate and comment. It's finally finished! Glory goes to God and my brother for helping me. Astrid and Hiccup, Fishlegs and Ruffnut. :
1. Chapter 1: Nightmares and Daydreams

An Old Friend

Prologue:

Astrid and Hiccup have gotten along really well after the end of the

Viking-Dragon War, having developed a fondness for one another and eventually a relationship, but Astrid has been keeping secrets. The cat is let out of the bag when a young man comes to Berk claiming to be her long lost brother. Astrid can only wonder if this boy is telling truth, or if he's trying to win her over for himself. Only time will tell.

Chapter 1: Nightmares and Daydreams

Astrid tossed and turned as she slept, tears forming from fears and pains of the past. 'Nothing new' she thought, 'Just another nightmare, no big deal' But this wasn't just any bad dream. It was about her. brother, Matthias. He disappeared ten years ago on a search for the dragon's nest. She could still hear his screams on the burning Viking ship he had sailed on.

"Astrid!" he cried out, "Help me, please! I beg of you, please!" He yelled in agony as he was consumed by the fiery breath of one of those winged serpents.

"No!" Astrid screamed as she quickly sat up, panting heavily and vigorously looking around her room. She sighed quietly as Yolanda, her mother burst into the room.

"What's wrong dearie?" her soft voice uttered in her heavy Norse accent.

"I had a dream." she said nervously.

"What sort of a dream?" she spoke with curiosity, "Was it about that Haddock boy again?"

"No it was-" she caught herself and thought carefully, 'She'd never forgive dad if I told her', so she exhaled and said, "Yes it was, just another silly dream about Hiccup."

Yolanda gave a sharp look at her daughter, "Lies are unacceptable in this house young lady, I demand the truth."

"I swear mom, I just had a bad dream about Hiccup." she lied yet again with tears in her eyes.

"You want to talk about it?" she said, placing her hand on Astrid's shoulder.

Astrid's face grew pale, "No mom, I'll be fine."

"I'm your mother Astrid, I love you very much, if there's anything I can do-"

"I'm fine mom." she winced for a moment, then looked back at Yolanda, "Thanks though."

"Alright dear, you get some shut-eye." she kissed Astrid's forehead and left the room.

The night went on, only for Astrid to stay awake the entire time. She was too afraid to even dare falling asleep.

The next morning Astrid woke up and looked around, only to see Thorn; her Nadder, looming over her bed.

"Hey girl, did you sleep okay?" she asked groggily while scratching the dragon's chin. The dragon preoccupied with the pleasure of a good itching, snorted and ignored her talk. "I'll take that as a no." saying that, she scratched near the base of Thorn's neck, putting her to sleep. Astrid immediately dressed herself and went out the door in order to avoid her curious mother, and headed for the Haddock house.

She continued to think about her brother, questioning things like, 'Why did he leave?" and 'Should I tell Hiccup?' As she approached his house, she saw Fishlegs and Ruffnut sitting around outside it talking to each other. They appeared to be joking, basing that from the smiles on their faces and each of them holding hands.

Fishlegs was continuing his chatter to the Thorston girl, "Do you think she likes Hiccup? I mean- if she did, that would be awesome!"

Ruffnut smirked at first, having the thought of handsome Hiccup dating a blonde prima donna, but she smiled after finding out how nice a guy Fishlegs was. She responded carefully, "Oh she likes Hiccup alright. Heck, they'll probably tie the knot in a year or two."

Fishlegs's eyes widened, "Hiccup and Astrid," he swallowed, "Married?"

Ruffnut shushed him and softly nodded, "Yep. Normally I'd go against it, but now it doesn't bother me that much anymore." She smiled at Fishlegs and held his hand a little tighter.

Fishlegs however was still on the latter subject, "I wonder if they'd let me be best man."

Ruffnut was slightly disappointed, but for once refrained from punching him, "Well, all best men need their best women." she leaned toward him, hoping to initiate a kiss.

"There are best women at weddings?" he said sheepishly while leaning forward as well.

"Of course there are, and I'm yours, if you don't mind that is." They both started leaning closer.

"Not at all, um, do you-" he stuttered a bit.

"Do I what Fishlegs?" she smiled and looked deep into his eyes.

"Do you know why we're leaning forward? It's really starting to hurt my back."

Ruffnut's smile melted, "Oh!" she pushed him to the ground and began ranting, "I just wanted to get a kiss, why can't you do something simple like-" She was interrupted by a light kiss on the lips.

"You know, all you had to do was ask." With that, Fishlegs marched off with a proud smile on his face.

Ruffnut was still standing there, dazed almost by what had just happened, when suddenly Astrid walked up to her.

"Hey, what was that all about?" Astrid asked while looking at Ruffnut and her bold smile. She waved her hand in front of Ruffnut's face, "Hello, anyone in there?"

"Hmm? Oh hey Astrid what's up?" She answered like Astrid had just arrived.

Astrid smiled and shook her head, "First kiss, huh?"

"Yeah, he's really-" she covered her mouth, and wiped off her smile, "What do you mean first kiss? He's just another fish in the sea!"

Astrid chuckled, "Yeah, hence his name." She gave Ruffnut a slight nudge and winked at her.

"Well, I better get going, I'll leave you and lover boy to yourselves." She winked back at Astrid and snickered as she began to walk away, "Oh, but no wild parties while I'm gone." Her snickering erupted into malicious laughter, and in an instant she left.

Astrid muttered to herself, "I'll show you a wild party." She resumed to knock on the door of the house, only to be met by Hiccup's father Stoick.

"Morning Astrid, what can I do for you?" He said cheerfully while rubbing his bright red beard.

Astrid knew something was up. Stoick the Vast, fearless leader of the Hairy Hooligans was never ever this happy. "Um, that's okay, thank you. Is Hiccup here by any chance?"

"Ah, I thought you'd might ask that, he's working at Gobber's shop with that dragon of his."

"Oh." She remarked, "Well then, I can come by some other time or-"

"I'm pulling your hair, he's in the den drawing." He laughed loudly and invited Astrid in. "He was sort of hoping you would come over."

A light blush came across Astrid's cheeks, "Really, what for?"

Stoick scratched his head for a minute, "To be honest, I don't really know. But I'm sure you'll find out." Stoick grabbed a sack and donned his helmet, "Well, you two have fun. Play nice while I'm gone. I'll be back, probably." Stoick left and headed for the docks.

Astrid's face blushed a deep red at the thought of being alone with Hiccup. She walked into the den to see Hiccup drawing pictures of different things and showing them to Toothless who was standing outside the window staring curiously.

Hiccup looked to see his dream girl walking into the room, "Hey Astrid." he said, giving her that lop-sided smile she liked.

Astrid brushed her blonde locks aside with her hand and smiled back, "Hiccup? Um, can I tell you something?"

Hiccup thought worriedly, 'Was it something I did?' He responded nervously, "Sure, I have something to ask you too."

They both started talking at the same time. Astrid began with, "I been having bad dreams about my brother and I can't get any sleep." and Hiccup followed, "I was wondering if sometime you would like to go out with me?" "What?" They both exchanged awkward glances trying to comprehend each other.

Astrid attempted to regain her composure, "Um, you go first."

Hiccup kindly returned her gesture, "No, you go first."

She tried to smile but the pain of her nightmares forbid it, "I've been having bad dreams about my brother, the one who I lost at sea ten years ago."

"Oh- um, yeah I remember. What's his name? Martin-er no, um Matthew, Marcus, Marty?"

She shouted frustratedly at Hiccup, "Matthias, his name is Matthias!" She started to cry a little.

"I'm really sorry about your brother Astrid, I wish there was more I could do." He sighed and turned away from her.

"It's not your fault, but do you think he might have made it? Maybe he didn't die at sea. Maybe he was rescued. Maybe he faked his death, or something." She said trying to kill the pain.

"It's unlikely, but it's possible. I can only hope for the best in this case." Hiccup placed his warm hand on her shoulder.

She sighed for a minute, then punched Hiccup in the arm, "That's for forgetting my brother's name."

Hiccup reacted without enthusiasm, "Ow, why do you always do that to-" His voice was drowned out by a passionate kiss, "Okay, what was that for?"

"That's for everything else." She smiled and started in for another long kiss, only to be averted by Hiccup's father who came into the house.

"What are you two still doing in here, we've got visitors! They'll need help with their supplies, so get a move-on!"

The two teenagers ran down to the docks as fast as they could to carry out their orders. They saw a massive sea vessel with people walking on and off of it. Gobber was there waiting for them, "Ah, nice of you to join the party! I thought I was gonna have to do all this me-self."

"Nah, on a day like this Gobber? We wouldn't dream of leaving you to all that work." Hiccup uttered with sarcasm.

"Alright, enough of the smart talk. Hiccup, I need you to haul the loads of fish in. That means no free treats for your dragon."

Hiccup winced, "Okay, deal."

Gobber smiled seeing that he got his way, "That's the spirit lad! Astrid, I need you to go on board and search through the passengers. One of them I heard was looking for you."

'What, who would be looking for me?' she thought. As she walked onto the ship, she drifted off into another reverie. She saw a man coming towards her, a man that resembled her brother. She ran up to embrace him, wrapping her arms around him. But when she looked him in the eye, he immediately transformed into a monstrous beast and let out a horrifying shriek. Astrid began screaming as the demon exposed his razor-sharp teeth.

"Astrid! Astrid!" A voice yelled as she was shaken out of her dream state, "Astrid, it's okay."

She looked at the man who was holding her, he placed his hand on her cheek.

She eased herself down and asked, "Who are you?"

"It's me Astrid." He smiled and patted her shoulder, "You don't remember?"

"No, I have no idea." She began to dread what he might say next.

"I'm your brother, Astrid. Your brother Matthias." Astrid grew pale and began swaying to and fro across the dock. "Astrid, are you alright?" She fainted from all the excitement, and nearly fell into the water if not for Toothless, who caught her shirt with his teeth and pulled her back onto the dock. The last thing she saw before completely blacking out was Hiccup, Toothless, and the stranger leaning over her.


	2. Chapter 2: The Mysterious Stranger

Chapter 2: The Mysterious Stranger

Astrid finally opened her eyes, only to be met by Hiccup's- "Hiccup, what happened? Where am I?"

Hiccup smiled, "You fainted at the docks for some reason, so I had Toothless bring you back to my house."

Astrid blushed a bit, embarrassed about fainting in front of Hiccup and the entire village. She had never done that before in her life. "Who was that guy at the docks?"

"Like I said," a voice came from a distance as a young man entered the room, "I'm your brother, Matthias."

"But," she recalled her dreams, "you're dead!"

"At one time Astrid, I truly believed I was." The boy continued, "I was very young when dad took me on that voyage to search for the dragon's nest, only about eight years old I think. We had them driven as far back as Hellheim's Gate, but something wasn't right. They were waiting for us, they knew we were coming. The entire fleet was set ablaze, save for one or two ships- No, it was one. The other one my dad put me on for my safety. He just barely got out alive himself. As for me, the ship I was on was incinerated. I spent days floating at sea on some of the vessel's remains. It wasn't long before the sharks had picked up my scent, they started biting at the boards and one of them got lucky." He gestured to his right arm.

"But it looks just like your other one." Hiccup asked, baffled.

The boy pulled off the prosthetic limb and handed it to Hiccup who freaked out for a moment, "I made it myself, tempered and folded steel with a coating of fine leather."

Astrid looked at the fake arm, scrutinizing every detail, "How did you-"

"How did I make it?" he cocked his eyebrow, " I learned. I used to work in Gobber's shop as his apprentice until the day of the voyage." He took the artificial arm back and attached it to his real arm's stump.

"But how did you get out of the water?" She asked interrogatively.

"Well, to finish the story, I won't bother with details. But like I said, the sharks almost had me, but that was when some sailors found me and brought me on board their vessel. They took me to an island not too far from here, some island called Britannia. I tried my share at several jobs to try and make a living, and finally got an education from a blacksmith in one of the villages."

"Why didn't you come back till now?" She continued to interrogate him with prying questions.

"Well Astrid, to sail two hundred miles costs a pretty pence. I had to work myself half to death just to earn a third-class trip as a cabin boy."

"But why did you leave in the first place?" She shouted at him, wincing out tears as she hung her head.

Matthias put his hand beneath Astrid's chin and held her head up, "I never meant to hurt you, and I promise never to leave you again for as long as I live."

Astrid was relieved by his words and embraced him with a hug. "Please, don't do that again." She wept softly.

Matthias looked at the young Haddock, "Thank you for watching over her for me, Mr.-"

"Call me Hiccup. Great name, I know." He rolled his eyes.

"Well, it's not the worst." Matthias chuckled, "In Britannia I had a Viking friend named Snakehead."

Hiccup laughed a little himself, "Well, that's a relief. But why Snakehead? That kind of fish is a-"

"A nuisance, which is what he was come to think of it. But he was a nice nuisance. He taught me some tricks about fighting he learned in the Far East."

Astrid smiled at that thought, "Oh really, you'll have to spar with me sometime."

Matthias swallowed the lump in his throat, "Um, well I-"

"Oh come on, it'll be fun! Besides, you're not chicken are you?" She slyly pulled his strings.

Matthias attempted to joke about the insult, "No, I'm more wild pheasant actually. Very well, I'll see you in the ring this afternoon." Saying that, he left for the arena to warm up.

Hiccup looked at Astrid's suspicious face, "So, that's your brother?"

Astrid only rubbed her chin, "I'm not sure, but I'm gonna find out."

Later that day; Astrid, Hiccup, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the Thorston twins went down to the arena for some sparring matches. There they found Matthias stretching his legs in a way that seemed agonizing.

Tuffnut looked at him and his peculiar posture, "Okay, this is really starting to creep me out."

Snotlout agreed, "Can guys physically even do that?"

Astrid tried to explain, "Well, he's had ten years to train, it's probably all he ever did from then to now."

Fishlegs only stared in amazement, "Judging by this, I say his agility is at eight, and endurance fifteen."

Hiccup slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand, 'Is he ever gonna stop that?' He thought.

Gobber welcomed the kids at the gate and let them enter the arena. Astrid walked up to Gobber and asked him, "How long's he been like this?"

He responded with an astonished look on his face, "Oh for hours lass, nearly half the day."

Astrid was quite surprised by what she had just hear. She walked up to her brother to tell him that she was ready to fight, only to hear his voice, "I'm ready when you are."

"Alright then," Gobber uncovered a table containing multiple traditional Viking weapons, "Let's get started. Astrid, you're up first."

Astrid picked up the axe she was most familiar with and readied herself. Matthias on the other hand pulled out two pieces of wood and screwed them together, making a staff.

Gobber objected, "No foreign weapons are allowed!"

Astrid interrupted, "It's not really a weapon, Gobber."

Snotlout was laughing his head off, "You're darn right, it's a stick!"

"This is a wax-wood Bo staff from the Orient. It is designed to subdue an opponent at medium range, without exactly killing him or her."

Gobber rolled his eyes, "Alright you made your point, now start the fight."

Astrid started slowly towards Matthias, axe in hand. Matthias simply stood still as a statue. Astrid saw this as the time to strike, so she rushed at him full speed. Astrid raised her axe to take a swing, only for Matthias to spin his staff in a full circle and knock her feet out from under her.

Fishlegs's eyes almost left their sockets, "I stand corrected, agility is twenty and endurance fifteen."

"Astrid!" Hiccup shouted, running as fast as he could, "Astrid are you okay?" Hiccup looked at her, afraid she had been knocked out. He turned her over, when suddenly she started laughing. Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief, seeing his girlfriend wasn't even scratched.

Gobber was very much impressed, "Right then, who's next?" To his amazement they all raised their hands.

Snotlout scoffed at Astrid, "If you can't even beat that guy, there's no way you can handle a real man!"

Matthias overheard the young Viking's comment, "Oh she can beat you alright. The real question is, can I beat you? After all, you're the real man here."

Snotlout gloated, "You're on!" and stepped into the ring. He grabbed a hammer off the table and shouted, "Bring it!"

Matthias made a careful decision though, "Not so fast." he said, dropping his staff. "Now it's a fair fight." The others gasped. Snotlout now had an easy target. Matthias went even further than that, he also turned his back.

Snotlout grinned wickedly, "You're mine!" He charged at Matthias yelling as loud as he could, and took a swing at him. Matthias grabbed the boy's arm and squeezed his wrist, literally wrenching the hammer out of his hand. Soon after, Matthias kicked Snotlout to the ground. A blade came out of his wrist sleeve and he held it at Snotlout's throat.

"Good fight," Matthias said, retracting the blade. He struck Snotlout in the face, "That's for mocking my sister." "And that's," he stepped on Snotlout's chest, forcing the air out of him, "for everything else."

Astrid knew for sure now, this mysterious stranger was her long lost brother. She remembered when he taught those two steps to her when they were little.

"I think that's enough sparring for the day." Gobber said, fearing more students would get hurt.

As they all were walking out, Astrid went up to Matthias, "Thanks for handling that for me."

"There's no need to thank me, but I want to thank you for keeping our family strong. Mom and dad are proud to have a daughter like you."

Astrid hugged her brother and went to catch up with Hiccup and the others. "Matthias, are you coming or not?"

"I'll catch up, don't worry." When she had gone out of sight, he fell to his knees and wept. 'What am I doing?" he thought, 'She's going to know the truth if she hasn't already. She trusts me now. If I tell her where he really is, she'll surely kill me. But she has to know somehow! Even if it kills me, I swear I have to tell her!'


	3. Chapter 3: The Truth Revealed

Chapter 3: The Truth Revealed

That night the gang gathered around a campfire with their parents to share their stories. Gobber once again told the tale of when a dragon took off his arm, and eventually his leg along with it. Stoick shared the story of how he met Valhallarama, Hiccup's late mother.

Astrid watched Matthias, who was just sitting and staring at the flickering flames. "Hey, why don't we let Matthias tell a story?" She spoke up, hoping the rest of the tribe would hear her.

Stoick happily agreed, "Alright, Matthias, do you care to share a tale of yours?"

Matthias stood and began to speak, "Villagers of Berk, I have seen the world, and its many wonders. I have been caught in the dangers of the Orient all the way to the glories of a new world in the West. But there is no place more horrible than the Isla del Diablo, the Island of the Devil. It's an island consumed by darkness, a world conceived in the malice of the human heart. There is a man there who does the unspeakable to helpless men, women, and children." The people gasped at the sound of this, and Matthias continued, "One of those prisoners includes my friend Snakehead. The alchemist Hans Dietrich is responsible for these peoples' suffering. He killed my friend's brother in front of him after turning him into a monster and having him brutally beaten. He has to be stopped, and I ask that we ready the ships, who's with me?"

The villagers all laughed and started to leave. Stoick patted Matthias on the back, "Great story, I almost believed you for a moment." and left with the others. The only ones to stay were Hiccup's friends, the veterans of the war.

Matthias buried his head in his hands, "I knew they wouldn't understand, I just knew it!"

Hiccup's eyes widened a bit, "You mean you were telling the truth? About the alchemist and everything?"

Matthias nodded and ran his hands through his hair. Astrid said otherwise, "You were always a great storyteller Matthias."

The angry Viking pushed her aside, "I'm not Matthias! I lied to you! He's the one back there rotting in a cell!" he began crying and pulling at his hair.

Astrid felt her heart shatter, "I trusted you! You came here telling me you were my brother, and like an idiot I believed you! I have waited ten years, and for what? Just so you can come and give me false hopes that Matthias is still alive!"

He stopped weeping, "But he is still alive, he sent me to find you, he told me to act like this so you would trust me. He wanted to tell you-"

"Save it!" Astrid shouted, "You can fight this guy on your own!" She stormed away along with the rest of her friends. Hiccup was the only one to remain.

"Why didn't you just tell her the truth?" Hiccup asked, helping the young man to his feet.

"He told me not to give my true name. If I told her who I really was, she would never have trusted me."

"But now because you lied to her, she still doesn't trust you. Who are you anyway? If your not Matthias-"

"I'm Snakehead, the boy who lost his brother to that monster of a man. It was horrible when it happened. He was beaten to the point where I couldn't recognize him at all. Then Dietrich forced a black serum down his throat, causing him to turn into another one of his monsters. Strangely enough, my brother kept his free-will. When Dietrich saw this, he made an example of him by brutally scourging him. After Dietrich had his fun, he slit my brother's throat right in front of me.

Hiccup was both shocked and amazed at such a tale, "Wait a minute, you said that Dietrich turned your brother into a monster. How so?"

"Dietrich is an alchemist, which means he mixes sorcery with science. He should have tried something simple, like turning lead to gold. Instead he discovered potions and elixirs that turned even the best of men into mindless beasts, servants who obey him without question. What's worse, he made his subjects laugh as my brother was beaten. I tried to stop him, but he struck me with something. It was a burst of energy, almost like a lightning bolt. Matthias knew that he and I would be next. Before being a prisoner, Matthias was Dietrich's apprentice, so he too had learned how to mix metamorphosing liquids. He was imprisoned when he stumbled across his master's human test subjects."

Hiccup was a little unnerved, "How did you manage to escape?"

"Matthias hatched a plan, he himself couldn't escape because he has no fighting skills. When one of the maids secretly let him out, he stole a potion and remixed it. In order to make it complete however, it required a drop of his blood. I almost vomited considering I had to drink it. The potion having been mixed with the blood, changed my body to look exactly like his. He taught me to walk, talk, and even think like him. He even taught me the Hofferson two-stepper."

"What about the fake arm?" Hiccup asked curiously.

"Matthias made that. Dietrich needed me to be as efficient as possible, so he gave Matthias the tools needed for a prosthesis."

"A pros-what now?" He raised his eyebrow.

"A prosthesis, a fake arm or leg, a replacement. But that's not important. The same maid would always let Matthias out, she had an interest in him I think. When she saw both of us, she couldn't tell us apart so she decided to let us both out of the cell. Matthias told her the plan, so she loosed a rowboat for me to be on my way. I promised them both I'd be back with help, and that I would finish this. I guess now, hope is lost. If I don't do something fast, Astrid's brother is actually going to be dead."

"What are you gonna do about it?" Hiccup asked with a grin on his face.

"Eh, probably something stupid." Snakehead shrugged.

"Nope, you've already done that. So what are you gonna do?"

Snakehead perked up as if having an idea, "Something crazy." The two boys ran to catch up with their friends.

Hiccup shouted to the group, "Guys wait, stop!"

Astrid grew suspicious, "Where were you Hiccup?"

Hiccup remained calm, "I was with Snakehead. Astrid, he needs our help. We have to do something."

"Don't tell me you actually believe that luna-" Astrid caught herself again, "Who?"

Hiccup answered, "Snakehead. He was telling the truth Astrid, your brother is there on the island. Snakehead came to Berk to gain your trust and get help so he could set Matthias free. We have to help him, or else-"

"But he lied to me Hiccup. You want me to help him?'

"Matthias taught him to act that way to get your help. If we don't help him, the real Matthias is going to die without ever seeing his sister again."

Astrid looked at Snakehead, who just caught up behind Hiccup, "If I help you, do you promise to save Matthias?"

"Yes, that's why I came back. Dietrich also has my sister, and she's due for one of his tests tonight. Hiccup, we'll have to convince your father to ready the ships."

"A ship won't be fast enough, you'll never make it in time." Fishlegs added.

"What's faster than a ship then?" Snakehead sighed and knelt to the ground to think. He raised his head after hearing a growl, and saw Toothless come in for a landing. "Night Fury." The rest of the dragons soon followed along with Thorn, the Deadly Nadder Astrid had trained. Snakehead smiled and spoke to the kids, "Ready yourselves lads! Tonight, we finish this!"

The kids mounted their dragons and prepared to take off. Astrid held Snakehead up for a moment though, "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"Don't be." Snakehead replied, "If anyone here is sorry, it's me for lying to you. I only hope I can save your brother. He loves you very much, and he's my best friend too you know."

"Then let's go find him." She said and started to leave, but she doubled back and punched Snakehead in the arm. "That's for lying to me."

Snakehead muttered to himself, "I deserved that." only to be surprised by a kiss on the cheek.

"That's for Matthias when you rescue him." she kissed him again lightly on the lips, "That's for everything else."

"Three steps? That's new." He chuckled and mounted on Toothless with Hiccup. "I promise you, I will find Matthias. You ready Hiccup?"

"As I'll ever be." He pressed down on the foot pedal to fan out Toothless's tail fin. "Take us out buddy." He patted the Night Fury's neck.

Snakehead was a little shaky, "Um, are you sure this is safe?"

Hiccup laughed, "Of course, I've done it plenty of times."

The boy relaxed, "Good, for a minute I thought you were out of your- mind!" His voice trailed off as the dragon took to the skies.

Snakehead looked around as the winged beasts tore through the clouds, he was just breathless by what he saw. In the heavens were wonders that few men had ever seen or even dreamed of. But his peace was shaken off as he remembered his mission. In not even twenty minutes they had past multiple countries. Hiccup however wasn't exactly sure of the island's whereabouts, "Say how far is this island anyway?"

Snakehead shook his head in disbelief, "It was right here, I know it." He said, looking at the open ocean.

Snotlout had doubts, "You lead us out here for nothing didn't you?" Snotlout then eyed a storm brewing very close. " And now we're not even gonna make it back!"

Snakehead flashed back, there was only one way to enter the island. He muttered to himself, "Death by wind and maelstrom is the only way to return home."

Hiccup raised his brow, "What?"

Snakehead looked ahead at the storm, "Hiccup, take us in."

Astrid objected, "Are you crazy? We'll die in there!"

Snakehead shouted the old verse, "Dietrich said so himself, 'Death by wind and maelstrom is the only way to return home!' Hiccup, I said take us in!"


	4. Chapter 4: The Alchemist

Chapter 4: The Alchemist

Hiccup swallowed, thinking 'This is crazy! This is crazy! This is crazy!' He and the rest of the dragon riders dove into the whirlpool,vanishing from any line of sight. Snakehead's calculations were correct, there beneath the surface was the Island of the Devil, surrounded by a translucent sphere. Having only seconds of air left, the gang charged through the bubble, only to wind up on dry land.

Tuffnut was literally dumbfounded, "This can't be real."

Snakehead begged to differ, "It's real, Dietrich meant for the island to sink. In order to keep his laboratory hidden and safe, he sunk it and created a blister of air around the entire land mass."

Fishlegs seemed highly optimistic about the series of events, "First it's riding dragons, now it's finding underwater islands. I can only wonder what's next." He smiled and kept his dagger close to his chest, along with his shield.

Snakehead glared at the Thorston girl standing right behind young Fishlegs, "Ruffnut, since you like being around Fishlegs so much, you both can stand guard."

The two started to complain, Ruffnut spouting off, "But I-, I- I don't want to-"

and Fishlegs following suit, "But what if- what if-, I can't -" But it was no use, the two of them were stuck with each other. Fishlegs tried to smile at Ruffnut, only to get an unexpected response, "Oh, don't give me that!" She turned to face the other direction.

The rest of them moved on. "Come on, it's this way." Snakehead gestured to the others to follow him.

"Stop!" Astrid shouted, looking at the other cells.

Hiccup glanced back at her, "What's the matter?"

She continued, "Look at them Hiccup, we can't just leave them here."

Hiccup agreed, "You're right, but there's so many of 'em. There's no way we can fly them out of here."

"You don't have to." Snakehead said, pointing to a distant port where a massive submerging ship lay docked.

Snotlout became confused, "What is that thing?"

"That's Dietrich's pride and joy, a submarine. It's the only one of its kind. It can sail under and above the surface of the water, without requiring wind. It harnesses some unknown power that I've never seen before-"

Tuffnut cut Snakehead off, "Okay, okay I get it! Can we just find her brother and go home?"

"We will, but my sister Lianda is in here somewhere. And after we free the rest of them, this island has to be destroyed."

"What? Why?" Hiccup asked, being somewhat shocked.

"This place wreaks of evil and its many works, and memories that need to be forgotten."

Astrid saw the seriousness in Snakehead's face, "You're talking about your brother aren't you?" He looked away from her. She attempted to enlighten him, "There was nothing you could do."

"You don't understand, this is personal. You have no idea what he's done to me!" Snakehead fell on his knees and once again hung his head.

Hiccup walked up to Snakehead and knelt beside him, "There will be a time for revenge, but not now. Don't let it eat you up. You need to realize that vengeance is not yours to take."

Snakehead stood on his feet, "You're right, but I've already lost my brother. I'm not about to let him take my sister too." He would have continued, if the group had not heard a voice echoing in the distance. It sounded much like someone singing.

Astrid smiled with excitement, "Come on! This way!" The gang ran as fast as kids could run, only to find the real Matthias sitting in a cell singing an old war hymn.

Astrid was overjoyed, "Matthias! It's me, Astrid! Hang on, we'll get you outta there!"

Matthias stopped his singing and looked over to her, "Astrid? Is it really you?"

"It's me. You'll be out in a minute." She began to walk towards his cell.

Matthias reached his hand through the bars, "Wait! Don't! It's a trap!" But he was too late, a rope snatched Astrid's ankle and held her in the air. The others were seized by numerous creatures that flooded the room. The swarm separated to reveal a tall, dark figure. The man looked up at the dangling Viking girl, "Astrid, Astrid, Astrid." he cackled, "He talks about you a little too much, I think. Cut her down." One beast obeyed and cut the rope around her leg, letting her drop to the floor. "Welcome to your new home, children. I am your host, Hans Dietrich. I trust you will all enjoy your stay here. Of course, you really have no choice." He turned to one of his guards, " Bind them, and put them with the boy! I'll have them ready for tests in the morning."

Snakehead tried to free himself, "Let them go Dietrich, they have nothing to do with this!"

"On the contrary, they have everything to do with this. They've trespassed on my property, they've discovered my research, and they've tried to steal my prize possession!" He gestured to Matthias, "But don't worry, I won't kill them like I did your brother."

"You murderous-" He lashed out at Dietrich, only to be struck hard in the stomach and knocked to the ground.

Dietrich laughed, "Poor thing; you tried, you failed, and now your sister will pay for it. For what you've done I should have killed you, but I think instead I'll just make you watch." He hissed wickedly and walked away, "Lock him up!" The creatures heeded his words and shut him in a solitary cell.


	5. Chapter 5: Simple Plan

Chapter 5: Simple Plan

"What are we gonna do now?' Snotlout complained, "If we don't think fast, we'll all wind up like those guys."

Snakehead sat in his cell, "There's nothing we can do now. Lianda is as good as dead." He sighed and tossed a small stone at the hard wall, "I did this, it's all my fault for bringing you guys here."

Matthias objected to Snakehead's self-pity, "Don't go blaming yourself for this. These kids knew the risk of coming here. And because of you, I got to see my sister again." Astrid smiled at her brother, and then looked over to Snakehead.

"And because of you, we got to live the adventure of a lifetime." Hiccup added to the positive compliments.

"And because of me, Lianda is gonna die if we don't get outta here." Snakehead turned away from the others, "Why couldn't I have seen who Dietrich was before I signed Matthias up to him? Why couldn't I have just taken Matthias back to Berk to his sister? Why couldn't I-"

"Why can't you just shut up and prepare to be rescued?" Ruffnut interrupted. Both her, Fishlegs, and the one maid Snakehead had previously mentioned stood in front of the cells. The maid walked over to a panel of levers, every one of them numbered to represent each cell. She wrapped her hand around the largest lever labeled ' Alle Proben: All Specimens', and instinctively pulled it back. Every cell in every hall opened up, releasing dozens of prisoners along with the children from Berk.

Snakehead's spirits lifted, "How did you-"

"Someone had to do it, it might as well be us. And all we needed for incentive was a little bit of this." The maid said, motioning to Snakehead with her hands.

Snakehead raised his brow, "You just gestured to all of me."

Hiccup instantly responded, "I know the feeling, crazy isn't it?" Snakehead looked at him, as if to say 'No, not really'.

Matthias ran and embraced the maid, "What changed your mind?"

She smiled and kissed him passionately, "Take a guess."

Snotlout became impatient, "Alright, let's get outta here." He began to walk away, only to be grabbed by the collar by Ruffnut.

"We're not going anywhere. I came here to kick butt, and I'm not leaving till I do!" She concluded, "Now what are we waiting for?" The others rushed in desperate search of Snakehead's sister.

Meanwhile, in the heart of the island, Dietrich had Lianda bound to a stone table. She looked around and struggled to free herself. She screamed as loud as she could, hoping someone would hear her. "Hush, hush little girl." Dietrich said, running his hand through her hair, "Don't worry, Dietrich will end the pain for you." He laughed sinisterly as he opened a small vial of a black liquid, which seemed to whisper ominously. She began breathing erratically, but was suddenly silenced. "Don't speak, you belong to me now." He grinned and started to tip the vial. Before any of the venomous serum could be poured, it was knocked out of Dietrich's hand by a a small knife. The tube shattered, spilling its contents on the ground. Dietrich growled as his face grew red. His complexion suddenly became very dark, "Do you realize what you have done?"

"Yeah," Snakehead responded, "I saved my sister from you!"

"So be it." Dietrich held up his wrist and cut it. As his blood dripped to the floor, he began speaking in the ancient Frankish tongue. "Komm tier der Finsternis! Fest auf dem fliesch einer jugend!" The puddle of blood burst into flames and started to transform. The blood had metamorphosed into a giant serpent, unlike any man had ever seen or dreamed of. It immediately charged towards Snakehead and attempted to snatch him up in its jaws.

"Go!" Snakehead shouted, "Get out of here!" He dodged overhangs and squeezed through narrow crevasses in the stone pillars around him, hoping to slow up the demonic creature. Snakehead's plan seemed to be working. Working, that was, until the viper's tail came in front of him and sent him hurdling against the wall. He tried to crawl away, but it was to no avail. The snake opened it's mouth up wide, preparing to devour the poor Viking. Yet suddenly, the cobra withdrew itself and let out an ear-piercing screech after an axe buried itself in its flesh. It was Astrid, she had climbed onto the creature's back and started chopping away at it. The beast shook her off easily and wrapped around with a squeeze tighter than her lover's arms. The snake gripped tighter, slowly starting to crush Astrid's bones as she started to fade in and out of consciousness... Matthias knew that the serpent's skin was too tough to penetrate. His only choice was to attack the heart of this monster's power, which was Dietrich's scepter. He quickly leaped at Dietrich, knocking him over and confusing the snake. The scepter rolled out of Dietrich's hand. Matthias struck Dietrich's jaw and reached for the scepter, only to be grabbed by the throat and thrown across the room.

Dietrich rose and retrieved his scepter. His eyes glowed as he once again spoke an incantation, "Blitz und Donner, um meine Stimme Bogen! Strike ihn nieder, er seine Wahl getroffen!" He pointed the vibrating staff at Matthias, releasing a bolt of energy. The lightning crept towards Matthias at high speed. But two could play at that game. Matthias countered the beam with a chant of his own, "Durch den Glauben Ich bin aus dem feurigen Pfeile des Bösen abgeschirmt!" There was a blinding flash of light as Dietrich looked away. He returned his gaze only to see that Matthias was not harmed. Instead, he was now surrounded by a glowing aura.

"What?" Dietrich stood in shock. He tried to fire another bolt, but nothing happened. "No!" He swung at Matthias, only to have the scepter torn from his hands. Matthias prepared to beat the scepter against the ground, "Stop! You don't know what you'll unleash!"

"But I know what I'll release from your grip! You're finished!" Saying that, Matthias smashed the scepter into pieces. The ground shook and a great wind blew. The serpent loosened its grip on Astrid, and was dragged down into a fissure made in the ground. Every beast that had possessed Dietrich's victims were also pried away and cast into the fiery pit. The wind ceased and the ground sealed over, silencing the voices of the demons forever.

Snakehead looked over to see his sister freed from her bonds, "Lianda!" he embraced her and wept from being full of joy, "I thought I'd lost you!"

Lianda shared his tears, "I thought I'd lost you too!"

Snakehead smiled and looked at Lianda, "It's ok, it's over now. We're gonna get out of here." Snakehead whirled as he saw Dietrich rise to his feet and draw a knife, which he threw at Astrid. "Astrid, no!" He jumped in front of Astrid, taking the knife right into his chest.

Dietrich shouted at all the other subjects who had entered the room, "Let this be a lesson to the lot of you! All who defy me will share his fate!" He gestured to the other kids, "Kill them!" The multitudes just stood still. "Do you not hear me? I order you to kill them!"

Matthias ran over to his fallen comrade to help him. The wound was bad, Snakehead knew he was not going to make it. He looked at Matthias and smiled, "You know what this means, right? You get my sister as your own." he chuckled and choked on the blood that had flooded his throat. He grasped the knife in his chest and started pulling on it, only to be stopped by Matthias.

"What are you doing? He asked worriedly, "If you do that you'll die."

"I'm gonna die either way Matthias, you on the other hand have unfinished business." He shot a look over to Dietrich, who was still shouting at the other prisoners.

Matthias let one tear loose, "I'm gonna miss you old buddy."

A small smile washed over Snakehead's face, "Don't- Just take care of Lianda for me." He ripped out the knife and handed it to Matthias. It was then that Snakehead's eyes slowly closed and he breathed his last. Matthias stood on his feet and began marching toward Dietrich, knife in hand.

Dietrich's attention shifted over to Matthias, "You! I should have killed you years ago. No one would miss you, all you have ever done is hurt the ones you love. Look at your sister with her broken heart, and your dear friend has gone to meet his maker. The fault is yours and yours alone!"

"Enough!" Matthias shouted as he slammed his knee into Dietrich's stomach. He proceeded to beat Dietrich before finally pinning him to the ground with the knife at his throat.

Dietrich cackled softly, "Go ahead, finish it! Prove to me that you've learned your lesson!"

Matthias hesitated, looking over at his dead friend, and finally back to Dietrich. Matthias raised the knife in the air, and aggressively drove it into the ground next to Dietrich's face. "No, the vengeance is not mine to take." Saying that, he withdrew his hand from the knife and stepped off Dietrich.

Dietrich, still laying on the ground made another derision, "You're weak, always ready to spare my life rather than to take it."

Matthias raised his brow, "Who said anything about sparing your life?" Dietrich's eyes widened and his face grew pale white. Matthias stepped back as the other prisoners began to surround Dietrich, "He's all yours." Dietrich's screams were drowned out by the horde of rampant subjects as he was violently smothered and beaten to death.

"Come on, let's get out of here." The boy started to walk away with his friends.

Astrid looked at her brother with a puzzled look, "What about the others?"

The maid interrupted politely, "I'll handle that, on one condition."

"And what might that be?" Hiccup inquired.

"You must destroy this place, your friend would have wanted it."

Fishlegs started to lose faith, "And how would you have us do that?"

The maid pointed over to a door marked 'Achtung: Brenbarre Stoffe', that is, 'Caution: Flammable Substances'.

Matthias looked over to the gateway, then smiled back at the maid, "I love you."

"I know, you keep telling me. Now hurry, the air mass won't hold for long now that Dietrich is dead."

Snotlout lazily objected, "If the bubble is gonna break, then why blow it up? Why not let the water do the work?"

"The serums and potions are in airtight bottles. They'll float and be found by someone. If they are discovered by someone even worse than Dietrich it could lead to the world's end."

"Oh, in that case, I got dibs on lighting the fireworks."

Matthias however just remembered something, "Dietrich used up all of his black powder. We'll need some way to-"

Hiccup had a flash of genius, "What about a dragon?"

"It's powerful enough alright, but we'd never clear the blast in time. It would be too instantaneous."

"Not for a Zippleback. One head breathe's gas, the other head lights it. We could fill this whole place with gas! It'd be the perfect fuse!"

"Yes, but one of us will have to stay behind to make sure it goes off. Once the fuse is lit, you'll have thirty seconds before your toast. Any volunteers?" Not to his surprise, none of the kids responded.

Astrid stepped forward, "I'll do it."

"No Astrid, it's too dangerous for a-"

"For a girl?" she objected, "I made it for ten years without you to protect me. Just because I'm a girl-"

"It's not that, I-"

"Then what?"

"I won't lose you again! Not to something like this. I've lived ten years without you Astrid, I'm not gonna let it become a lifetime. I just can't lose you."

Astrid stepped closer and kissed her brother's forehead, "You won't, I promise."

Matthias sighed and nodded his head, "Alright, remember though, thirty seconds."

Astrid repeated, "Thirty seconds." Matthias hugged his sister one last time before heading out with the others. Astrid mounted on the Thorston twins' Zippleback and began spraying gas all around the room, "Come on, this has to work." But as more gas filled the room, Astrid felt more and more light-headed. Soon it was too much. She fell backward jerking the reins, which urged the one head to give off a spark. Astrid watched fadingly as the room burst into flames. With the fire creeping toward her at a frightening speed, she began to feel faint and started to shut her eyes. She felt the pressure of someone's arms, as if she were being lifted in the air. Suddenly she heard a voice off in the distance.

"Astrid? Astrid! Stay with me!" As she heard this she felt the wind crashing against her almost lifeless body, only to be drenched with water as if being hit by an ocean wave. As she felt open air drying her soaked skin, she opened her eyes for one second and saw Hiccup smiling at her, "We did it Astrid! We made it! Don't you ever scare me like that again!" She smiled back as she finally gave up her feelings and lost consciousness, only remembering Hiccup's shining green eyes.


	6. Chapter 6: Back To Normal

Chapter 6: Back To Normal

Astrid slowly opened her eyes, and tried looking around the room. She could barely move, paralyzed by the pain almost. Suddenly she saw a familiar face looming over her. It was Thorn, her Nadder. "Thorn? What are you doing here?"The young Viking girl smiled at her pet, who accidentally brushed against her ribs. She winced and let out a loud moan, which stirred her to sit up. She looked all around the room with cautious eyes, "I'm- I'm in my house. I must have been dreaming." Her face grew pale when she realized that she couldn't feel her legs. She immediately threw off her sheets, only to give a breath of relief. Her legs had merely fallen asleep. She sighed thinking about her brother, "I guess it was a dream." She attempted to stand on her feet, instead her legs buckled and she nearly tumbled to the floor. If not for her dragon breaking her fall, she would have landed face-down. "Good girl, now will you help me outside?" The dragon grunted and braced Astrid to stand up straight. Thorn walked her master to the door, only to be diverted by a voice.

"Astrid?" The voice sounded familiar, very familiar. The girl looked at the figure who stood in the shade.

"Yes?" She replied, turning towards him.

The figure stepped into the light and embraced Astrid with a hug. It was Matthias, in the flesh with tears running down his cheeks, "I thought you had left me."

She wept a bit herself, but tried to lighten the mood."I thought I was dreaming for a moment."

"A dream can't hug you, nor can it say I love you." Matthias smiled at his sister and put his arm around her shoulder, "Come on, they're waiting for you." Astrid returned a smile to her brother and walked out with him into the village. There at the central square was Fishlegs, Snotlout, the twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and- Hiccup... Just the thought of her best friend made her heart melt.

Fishlegs spotted the Hofferson girl coming down the flight of steps, "Hey hey, look who's back!" Hiccup shifted his sight over to the radiant blonde, who was slightly singed but still a sight to see. He ran towards Astrid ready to hug her, but to his surprise was punched in the arm by her brother.

"That's for scaring me half to death." Matthias said, dusting his shoulder.

Hiccup was ready to complain, but instead let himself get swept away in a soft, lush kiss from Astrid, "Is that for everything else?"

"It's for saving my life." She smiled at the young Viking, and kissed him even more vigorously, "That one's for everything else."

Hiccup chuckled to himself, "I think I like it this way better." Astrid blushed and covered her mouth for a second. "Astrid, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything."

"I was thinking, well, seeing we're such good friends and everything. Ugh, I'm just gonna say it. Would you- Would you-"

Astrid smiled and muffled Hiccup before he could finish, "I'd love to."

"Well, that was easy." He let out a light laugh. "The night after tomorrow then?"

Astrid agreed, "The night after tomorrow. Now if you excuse me I'm gonna go back to bed." She began to walk away.

Hiccup caught her, "Aren't you forgetting someone?"

"Who?"

Hiccup stood aside and let Lianda step forward, "Your new sister."

Astrid smiled at the teenage girl, "Welcome to the family."

Lianda just shrugged, "He loved you, you know. He always wanted to meet you, that's why he came instead of your brother."

"Well, I can tell you this much Lianda. I will never ever forget your brother. And I will always remember him through you." Astrid held Lianda tight as she let loose her tears. Astrid released her grip and looked back at Matthias, "What about our parents? What did they say to all this?"

Matthias laughed, "You're gonna get a kick out of this, Hiccup said it was his idea."

"What?" She looked over to the young Haddock, "How come he's still standing here in one piece?"

"Let's just say they'll always remember a hero's deeds."

She giggled a little, but quickly covered her mouth. 'What was that?' she thought. Her face grew red with embarrassment. Hiccup smiled a bit seeing that his girlfriend was actually acting like a girl.

"What happened to the maid, and the rest of the prisoners?" Hiccup wondered.

"Her name is Hilda, and she should have been here about five hours-" The ground began to violently shake. Matthias looked over at the docks to see a massive ship emerge to the surface. "ago." He ran towards the docks as masses of people emptied from the submarine. He kept pushing many of the former prisoners aside looking for that one woman. Matthias gave up and began asking around, "The girl who led you out, where is she? Please, does anyone know?" One of them pointed behind Matthias. He turned around to see the maiden standing in front of him. "You know you could have just said, 'Over here'."

"I'm sorry, I wanted to surprise you. I'm also sorry about being late, and I'm sorry about-" She was silenced by a warm kiss.

Matthias broke away for a minute to say, "Shut up." and started in again. Before the moment could continue, the couple was pulled apart by the other teenagers.

"Shame, I was just starting to have fun." Hilda let out a laugh.

"Now what?" Ruffnut asked, "We've kicked butt, you got the girl, and everything's all hunky-dory."

"Well, not exactly," Matthias chuckled nervously, "Dietrich was just one of many."

"If it's one thing I've learned," Hiccup added, "It's that nobody's perfect."

Matthias perked up, "In that case, are you guys ready to save the world?"

Astrid glared at her brother, "Not today."

Fishlegs nodded in agreement, "I'm with Astrid, that and I'm at negative five energy times three."

Matthias made a suggestion, "I know a great vacation spot. The White Cliffs of Dover in Britannia. It's just beautiful this time of year."

Hiccup groaned, "Ugh, more flying?" Toothless growled, "I mean- more flying? Great!" He mumbled under his breath, "If that's what I wanted to do right now." Toothless smacked Hiccup in the leg with his tail. "Oh come on! I was only joking!"

"Hold it!" A voice rumbled from behind Matthias. It was Stoick, who was in a 'happy' mood. "You kids are not going anywhere!"

"But chieftain- The kids need a break. All I'm asking is that we go down to Britannia for vacation. So, if you could-"

"You're not going anywhere without the rest of us." Stoick winked at the young man.

"Alright, you heard the man! Pack your stuff!" Matthias began to head off, only to be snatched by Stoick who grabbed his shirt collar.

"Ah-ah-ah, we're leaving first thing tomorrow. You all need some rest." He gently set Matthias back down.

"Okay, tomorrow." Matthias reluctantly agreed. The other kids began to head to their huts to retire.

"Hey Matthias, you coming with us?" Hiccup shouted back.

"I'll join you guys in a minute." Hearing that, Hiccup left along with all of Matthias' new friends. Matthias sighed and looked up at the heavens, "You would've loved this, old friend. I'm deeply sorry for everything. Well, at least I know that You Lord have him with You now. Maybe one day when my time comes, I'll be there too." Matthias reached into the pack slung around his shoulder and pulled out a book and pen. In it he began to write: This is Berk. It's twelve days North of Hopeless and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located solidly on the meridian of Misery. Things have changed so much from when I was last here. The food that grows here however is still tough and tasteless. The people that grow here are even more so. I have to say that the only upsides are the pets. While most people would have ponies or parrots, we have- well we have dragons. Everything seems to have returned to normal, for now. Dietrich may be dead, but there are others far worse willing to destroy this world given to us by Almighty God. It is our job to make sure that they don't succeed. My name is Matthias Hofferson, and this is my story. With that, the sun set over Berk as Matthias returned to his cabin to sleep.


End file.
